In 'The Tariff in Our Times', Ida M. Tarbell tells the story of how in the last fifty years, protectionism has prevailed despite the will of the public. Although the public prefers duties on products like iron and steel, cheap cotton, and raw materials to be reduced if not abolished altogether, they continue to persist to this very day. This book explores the reasoning behind the history of tariff-making, from the Tariff as a War Tax to the intellectual and moral aspects of choosing to impose duties from products imported from overseas.

The Institute of economics of the Brookings institution. Publication no. 3.